Mental Scribbles of a Filipino Educator

2 Ways of Integrating Technology in the Classroom

I have read quite a number of articles on guidelines when integrating technology in teaching and learning, but I think the initial mental process in tech integration has been given little attention. Presenting my 2 ways of integrating technology in teaching and learning courtesy of #thoughtsonthetreadmill.

1. Lesson 2 App (Pedagogical Approach)

As educators, we are hardwired to first think of our lessons. After being confronted by the thought of this lesson, we scavenge through our idea box for amazing ways to present this idea – in education terms, pedagogy. In our idea box, we discover apps we have stumbled upon and see how these apps can be a medium for delivering our lessons to our students to make teaching and learning more engaging.

In this pedagogical approach, we develop the philosophy that technology is not the end. It reminds us that it is just a means to our end: learning. We are not at the beck and call of a new app that came out on the app store.

2. App 2 Lesson (Engagement Approach)

Another way to build a personal curation of apps for teaching and learning is when we stumble upon amazing apps. These apps excite us because we realize that we could use this for a specific lesson and make our it more engaging. The important thing here is that we are able to connect the app with a lesson.

We need to be wary that upon becoming excited over an app, we end up veering away from our intended lesson standards just to accommodate this hip new app we discovered.

However, apps can be real game changers. App 2 Lesson can modify (Puentedura, 2013) lessons not in the way it changes the curriculum, but it changes the way we assess our students. Students are not anymore assessed by how well they memorize and explain concepts, but they are able to translate these theories into more tangible results thanks to technology. We don’t just anymore teach film theories, but we can now teach them basic film making.

General philosophy in tech integration: Apps are just a means, not ends.

Happy integrating! 🙂

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2 thoughts on “2 Ways of Integrating Technology in the Classroom”

I haven’t been teaching formally for years now but I do apply the second method in my modules and talks much more than the first method, and yes I try to temper my excitement whenever I find a new piece of technology and try not to force things. That hoverboard priest comes to mind. lol